Reinforced curtain-roller.



E. E. WH IIIII E.

REINFORGBD LLLLLLLLLLL R.

APPLICATION FILED JLY 111111111 4 EDWARD E. WHITMORE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIG-NOB, TOOURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

REINFORCED CURTAIN-ROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. patiente-fd 3131', 23', 1915,

Application led July 10, 1914. Serial No. 850,071.

T0 all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, EDWARD E. WHIT- MoRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced Curtain-Rollers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for its primary object the provision of a curtain roller construction peculiarly adapted for the withstanding of rough usage and excessive lateral stresses as in the case of very long rollers and in connection with heavy curtain material such for instance as, awnings, car vestibule curtains and the like.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved connection between the curtain and roller whereby the two are assembled and disassembled with facility and are securely held against accidental disassociation or derangement.

By my invention the roller is trussed against bending stresses lboth by reason of peculiar qualities of the material employed in the construction of the shell, such as corrugated sheet metal, and also by means of an internal reinforcement cooperating with the truss elements or corrugations of the shell, while the curtain is held in place by a coperating hem and rod disposed in one of the longitudinal channels of the corrugated shell and held therein by the overlying layers of curtain material wound thereon.

In order that the invention may be readily understood a preferred embodiment of the same is set forth in the accompanying drawing and in the description based thereon. As, however, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in modified forms of construction the description and drawing are to be taken in an illustrative and notin an unnecessarily limiting sense.

In the drawing-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a curtain roller with certain parts broken away to show the interior reinforcement; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner of the curtain apart from the roller.

As illustrated, the roller comprises hollow end sections 11 and 12 each formed of corrugated galvanized sheet metal rolled into general cylindrical form with the meeting edgesv united by meansvof a lap seam 13 or any other appropriate manner as by soldering. Thus constructed the roller is in the form of a longitudinally fluted shell, the corrugations forming outwardly projecting ribs 14 with intervening channels 15,r the ribs and channels extending preferably parallel to each other 'and to the axis of the roller although it will be understood that the same eect would in a degree be obtained if the corrugations extended in adirection slightly oblique to the axis ofthe roller, but in a general longitudinal direction. The outer end of the two sections 11 and 12Vare closed in the usual manner by any suitable kind of plate and are equipped with the usual round trunnion 16 and the spear head 17, the latter connected with the shell by ,means of a torsion spring as is com- Inon, it not being` considered necessary to illustrate such closure plates and spring connection as they form no .part of the present invention. f

It will be readily understood that the longitudinal corrugations form a truss construction which greatly increases the resistance to bending stresses as compared with a cylindrical shell, but the strength of the roller may be advantageously increased by the empolyment in connection withv the iuteil shell of an interior cylindrical reinforcement 18 snugly fitting within theshell in supporting contact with the inner walls thereof at the points corresponding to the channels lbetween the ribs 14, or therelation of the two shells may be reversed.' f

In order to providefor adjustability as to length of the roller the end sections 11 and 12 are shown as united by a coupling member 19 which may be of wood or of sheet metal and which preferably has a cross `sectional shape corresponding to thatof the `corrugated shell, the coupling member 1 9 fitting within the adjacent inner ends of the sections 11 and 12 in a telescopic manner and secured 1n adjusted relation totheend sections by means of nails or screws 20. In

practice the coupling member 19 is of limited lengthfandthe reinforcement 18 extends from a pointnear the end of the coupling member throughout the longer end section 11. The coupling member 19 obviously serves as an internal reinforcement for Vthat portion of the roller occupied by it thus rendering unnecessary the extension of the reinforcement 18 through the coupling member although where a sheet metal coupling member 19 is employed the reinforcement 1S may extend from end to end of the roller through the coupling member 19.

By the construction thus far described it will be seen a very rigid roller is obtained with a minimum weight of material. Moreover, as ordinary corrugated sheet metal is available for use the expense is reduced to aY minimum, it not being necessary to shape the metal in specially designed machines in order to obtain the iuted effect;

' The employment of a fluted roller as above set forth enables the attachment thereto of the curtain in an exceedingly simple and efficient manner. The curtain itself is folded over at one end and seamed at 21 so as to provide a looped portion adapted to snugly envelop the roller. The curtain is also provided within the looped portion by seaming at 22 with a hem 25 and within this hem is accommodated a rod 24. W hen the loop atV the end of the curtain is slipped over the roller with the hem 22 occupying a position in one of the channels 15 the rod 241 is slipped into the hem 23 and is thus disposed within the channel of the roller and is prevented from being drawn overv the adjacent rib 14 by the snug fit of they curtain fold. about the roller. ,'Vhen the curtain 25 is wound upon the roller each succeeding layer of the same bears inwardly upon the rod 211 and increases the resistance to any tendency of the latter to ride up the wall of the rib and escape from the channel. 1f it is desired to remove the curtain from the roller it is easily effected by first sliding the rod 24 longitudinally of the channel out of the hem and then slipping., the fold of the curtain over the end of the roller as will be readily understood.

I claim:

l. A curtain roller comprising a shell of longitudinally corrugated sheet metal, and a cylindrical sheet metal reinforcement disposed within the corrugated shell in supporting contact with the inwardly extending walls of the corrugations.

2. An extensible longitudinally fluted sheet metal curtain roller comprising hollowv end sections, a coupling section of corresponding cross section arranged withinv the adjacent ends of the hollow sections, and

1,132 eis a cylindrical reinforcement disposed within the iuted hollow portionofythe roller in supporting Contact with the inner walls of the fiutes.

3.- The combination with a longitudinally fluted curtain roller, of a curtain having a hem, a rod accommodated Within the hem and disposed in one of the flutes of the roller and adapted to be overlain and retained in position by the successive layers of the curtain when' rolled. thereon.

4'; rThe combination with av curtain roller shell formed of corrugated sheet metal, the corrugations extending parallel to each other and to the'axis of the roller, a' cylindrical sheet metal reinforcement disposed within the corrugated shell in supporting contact with the inwardly extending walls of the corrugations, of av curtain having a hem, a`A rod accommodated within the hem and disposed in one of the flutes of the roller and adapted to be overlain and retained in position by the successive layers of curtain when rolled thereon.

5. AY reinforced curtain roller comprising outer and inner'sheet metal members, one of the members being cylindrical and the other longitudinally fluted, the cylindrical and iuted walls having supporting contact one with the other.

6. 1n a curtain roller, the combination of cooperating exterior and interior contacting shells of sheet metal, one cylindrical with a plain surface and the other longitudinally corrugated, the corrugations; extending parallel to each other and to the axis of the roller.

7. The combination with a longitudinally v ARTHUR J. MOELLER, S. Gr. MEDELL.

Copies o this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressing the Gommissonervof Patents Washington, D. C. 

